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HENRY C. BSOOM, OFLA GROSSE, WISCONSIN.

Letters Patent No. 75,839, dated llarei 24, 1868; antedated M'areh 1.6, ISGS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHARGER FOR POWDER-FLASKS,

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TO ALL WH-OMhIT-MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BAscOMfof La Crosse, in the countyoi'La Crosse, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and improved PowdenFlash Top o r Charger and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a powder-dusk charger for {irc-arms that is-quick and .secure in its operation, not liable to get out of order', and that can-be operated by the pressure of one finger, doing away with the use of athumbpiece and althumb to operate it with, as is now the case with the ordinary powderiiask top or. charger., `In the accompanying plate of drawings my improved charger is illustrated, the i i Figures l. and 2 being central sections through the charger in the direction of its length, but nplanes respfcotivelyat right angles to each other. i

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

' The charger embraced in this invention consists of two tubes, A and B, one inside of 'the other, but attached together, by connection with the mouth-piece C, at one end, and partiallylopen conical ends, D, at the other. One of these tubes, A, has a spiral slot, a, in it, by which the tube is susceptible of being turned partly around the other tube, B, with a longitudinal slot, b, in the other to prevent it from turning around. These tubesA and B are enclosed partly in a case or shell, E, between which shell and the tubes is a spiral spring, F, acting between the base-,ot` the shell or case E, and against a projection or shoulder, G, of the mouth-piece C of the charger. The spring F serves to push out the mouth-piece and tubes to their proper distance or posi-V tion when there is not a sniicient amount ot" pressure applied to the mouth-piece to overcome theresistance of 4the spring. I-I, a screw-pin, secured to the case or shell by a thread. This pin H projectsthrough the`longitudinal slot in the outer tube, and into the spiral slot in the-inner tube,`and, when pressure is applied-to the mouth-piece, one tube is caused to turn partly around, and the other to move in without turning, the said pin acting ou` the twoslots, and consequently the two openings in the respective ends ofthe tubes are brought opposite each other, so that. the powder may run into the inner tube, when, by partially removing the pressure4 of the n'gerupon the mouth-piece, the spiral spring forces out the tubes and mouth-piece, andthe openings at the conical ends of the `tubes are thereby closed. The charger or top is to be secured to a flask in the ordinary manner by a screw-thread on a projection from the base of said thread.

The mode of operation is as follows.: The charger having been attached to a flask forpowder, grasp the lask with one hand, with the mouth-piece down, and place the ball of one Jringer upon the mouth-piece in such a manner as to cover-the opening, when, pressing the mouth-piece inward `its proper distance, or so far as it yields readily to the pre`ssure,the openings initherinner4 or conical ends ofthe tubes are thereby brought opposite each other, and the powder will consequently run into the inner tube, when, slightly relieving the pressure of the finger until the spring forces out the sliding charger, or tubes andmouth-piece, the proper distance, entirely closes the openings in the tubes, with the nger still'covering the opening. Then turn the ask so the said opening in the mouth-piece shall be up, and removing the finger, pour the powder into the tire-arm, and the operation is completed. 7 i u Some of the 'advantages of'my invention are, that, instead of its being necessary to grasp the iiask in just Y such a manner, as i'n the old way, in order that the thumb-piece may be reached and operated by the thumb, Aand a finger placed upon the opening in the mouth-piece, my charger can be operated readily without regard to the position of the hand, providing the ball of one finger is placed upon and `covers the opening in the mouthpiece, thus dispensing with the use of a thumb-piece and a thumb tooperate it with, both of which are needed in the ordinary charger. Also, by having a conical end or` opening, the powder is permitted to run into thev charger quicker than'if the opening were dat, and at the 'same' time the conical ,point of `lthe tube penetrates andenters the powder more easily,and also prevents it from becoming packed so closely as it would if there v `were nearly a iiat surface vfor it to rest on, and then move through when au opening was made.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the inner tube A, provided with the spiral slot a, the outer tube B, provided with the longitudinal slot b, and the screw-pin H passing through both slots, all constructed and operating as described, whereby the pressure upon the mouth-piece G pushes forward the tube B in a longitudinal. direction, and partially rotates the inner tube A, causing the perforations .in the ends D of said tubes to register for discharging the powder, as herein shown and described.

Witnesses:

WM. J. CARD, R. W. BURNS.

HENRY B ASCOM. 

